As the communications landscape becomes more interconnected and more data is being transmitted electronically, the demand for efficient, high quality electronic data transport has greatly increased. This demand is met, in part, by optoelectronic communication, i.e., using optical signals to transmit electronic data. This works as electronic data input is converted into light pulses which are carried to a destination by a transmission medium, such as a wave guide or fiber optic cable. Thus, the process of optoelectronic communication using optical signals includes converting the data to be transported into an optical signal, transferring that optical signal onto a transmission medium configured to carry it and relaying that optical signal to a specified destination. Data communicated through optical signals may travel longer distances more quickly and is less likely to be affected by electromagnetic interference and signal degradation.
One of the challenges of optoelectronic communication is aligning the source of the optical signal with the transmission medium so that data may be transmitted along the transmission medium. If the optical signal source isn't fully aligned with the transmission medium, the optical signal may be weakened or not transmitted at all. Therefore, proper alignment between the signal source and transmission medium, also known as optical coupling, is needed before the optoelectronic communication can occur.
This optical coupling typically involves actively aligning the optical signal from the source with the transmission medium. This process can be tedious, time consuming, and costly as a high degree of precision may be needed to adequately couple the optical signal into the transmission medium. Such costly, time-consuming work decreases the production of such communication links.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.